"Waste" Master and Disciple

Outer Court.

Lying in the medicinal bath, Chen Yan gently closed his eyes, green water droplets dripping from his fingertips resting on the edge of the tub.

The Body Tempering Liquid surged into him from his pores, penetrating deep into his marrow.

This was Chen Yan's second medicinal bath.

Although Chen Yan's cultivation had now reached the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm, the foundation he had laid during his Body Tempering was not solid. He had never even had a medicinal bath like this before.

Chen Yan could clearly feel his breathing becoming more sustained, and the explosive power and skeletal endurance contained within his physique had also greatly improved.

Even his meridians had become smoother due to his strengthened physique.

"A Kongyuan Mountain disciple..."

Suddenly, Chen Yan opened his eyes and muttered to himself, then smiled and shook his head.

If it were before Chen Yan entered reincarnation, becoming an Inner Sect Disciple of the Empty Mountain Sect would indeed have been his dream.

But that was no longer the case.

Chen Yan knew his own talent level well. Even with the resources of the Inner Sect, he might not be able to break through to the Qi Sea Realm in his lifetime.

More importantly, if the Reincarnation Record Point had not updated, then everything he currently possessed would be as fleeting as smoke.

In fact, Chen Yan didn't even know what he wanted now.

In the past, he had only wanted to save Cheng Ziying, but now their relationship had long since drifted apart.

There were still two years until the calamity occurred in the Outer Court.

The occurrence of that calamity was highly likely to be related to the Chief of Qingchan Peak, Chu Xiyao, because Chen Yan still remembered the look of guilt and self-reproach that Chu Xiyao had shown at that time.

Calamity Cause.

Since Chen Yan returned from Kongyuan Mountain, this word had been lingering in his mind.

Qingchan Peak, Fu Qian, Calamity Cause, Chu Xiyao, calamity...

Chen Yan tried to connect these, but ultimately found no clues.

The information he had obtained so far was still too one-sided.

Thus, Chen Yan stood up from the medicinal bath, washed away the dirt clinging to his body with clean water, then dried himself and put on a clean Outer Court Disciple Daoist Robe.

In an instant, he felt refreshed.

Just as Chen Yan was about to take advantage of his free time to take a short nap, he suddenly heard a knock on the door of his residence.

Who could it be?

Since Chen Yan had always been a loner, he was naturally very confused when someone knocked on his door.

He walked to the door, stopped, and then opened it.

Standing at the door was a figure Chen Yan was once very familiar with, but who now seemed a little strange--

Cheng Ziying.

The seventeen-year-old Cheng Ziying had already grown into a graceful young woman. Although her beautiful face still carried a hint of childishness, she was undoubtedly a young lady now.

However, unlike the playful and clingy little Junior Sister in Chen Yan's memory, the current Cheng Ziying's eyes held a touch of indifference and distance.

"..."

Chen Yan didn't know what to say, and remained silent.

The moment Cheng Ziying's gaze met Chen Yan's, she quickly averted her eyes.

Chen Yan had heard about Cheng Ziying's current cultivation realm. At only seventeen years old, she had already reached the mid-stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.

This cultivation speed, even within the Inner Sect, was definitely considered above average.

But in his past reincarnation, Cheng Ziying would only break through from the Body Tempering Realm to the Qi Condensation Realm at the age of nineteen.

This made Chen Yan begin to wonder if he had been holding back Cheng Ziying's cultivation in the past.

At her current cultivation speed, it was not impossible for her to break through to the Martial Spring Realm before the age of nineteen.

If Cheng Ziying could break through to the Martial Spring Realm, it would mean she could obtain the ticket to enter the Inner Sect and become an Inner Sect Disciple.

Perhaps, this could allow her to escape the calamity she encountered in the Outer Court at the age of nineteen.

Looking at it this way, was it all my fault that Ziying died?

Chen Yan couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart.

"Senior Brother Chen."

The familiar words slowly came from Cheng Ziying's cherry lips:

"Elder Lin is waiting for you at Wenyuan Hall."

"I know, Zi..."

"Then I'll take my leave."

Before Chen Yan could even call her name, the seventeen-year-old girl turned and left.

Chen Yan wanted to call out to her, but ultimately gave up.

Lin Qifeng was looking for him?

The last time Chen Yan met his cheap Master was when he returned from Kongyuan Mountain and went to return his token.

A week had already passed, and Chen Yan thought that the Sect Master's personal disciple had completely forgotten about him, his mouthpiece.

But now that he was looking for Chen Yan, he probably had something he needed to convey.

Chen Yan left his residence and began to walk towards Wenyuan Hall.

When he stood before the hall doors, they slowly opened to both sides automatically.

"You're here?"

A middle-aged man in a Crane Cloak was sitting behind a Rosewood Desk, brewing tea.

"Disciple Chen Yan greets Master."

Chen Yan bowed.

"Stop with the unnecessary formalities!"

Lin Qifeng complained impatiently, "Finding you, kid, was quite the hassle. With so many people in the Outer Court, not a single one knows you?"

"Perhaps it's because I'm not eloquent and rarely interact with my fellow disciples."

Chen Yan replied perfunctorily.

"Stop talking nonsense. Finding a disciple in the Outer Court who knows you is harder than finding a needle in the ocean!"

Lin Qifeng said, puffing out his chest and glaring.

It seemed that in order to deliver a message to him, he had gone to great lengths to find someone who knew Chen Yan in the Outer Court.

Only then did he find Cheng Ziying, who had long since fallen out with Chen Yan.

"The girl you know has decent talent. She's already reached Qi Condensation at such a young age."

Lin Qifeng paused for a moment, then continued, "Unlike you and me, who are trash."

"Master is joking. I am likely the only one who is trash."

Chen Yan bowed.

"Do you think you know how old I was when I broke through from the Body Tempering Realm to the Qi Condensation Realm?"

"...Sixteen?"

"Thirty-six."

Chen Yan was slightly stunned.

In Chen Yan's first life, he had finally achieved Qi Condensation in his forty-first year.

But Lin Qifeng, as the Sect Master's personal disciple with access to abundant cultivation resources, had only reached it five years earlier than him?

Chen Yan's first reaction was that Lin Qifeng was lying.

However, if it were true, then as Lin Qifeng said, he was indeed trash.

But how had Lin Qifeng become a cultivator in the Qi Sea Realm now?

How old was he now?

All Chen Yan could deduce was that he was younger than Martial Suppression Elder Fu Qian of Qingchan Peak, and that White-haired Elder from Kongyuan Mountain.

"What, you find it unbelievable?"

Seeing Chen Yan frozen in place, Lin Qifeng said, "Are you wondering how, with my poor talent, I became a personal disciple of the Sect Master?"